Electric pocket for lighting purposes.



PATENTED OCT. 27, 1903.

A. OLENIN. ELECTRIC POCKET IOR LIGHTING PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28. 1902. RENEWED JUNE 27. 1903-,

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0.. WASHVN its. 742,348.

UNITED STATES iatented October 2%, 1903.

ALEXIS OLENlN,- O F YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC POCKETFILOR: LIGHTING PURPOSES.

srncrrrcA'rron forming part or statement No. 742,348, dated October 27, 1903. Application filedMarch 28, 1902. Renewed June 27, 1903. Serial No. $3,437. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXIS OLENIN, a citizen of the United. States of America, and a resident of New York, in the county and State. of New York, certify that I have invented a certain new and useful ElectrioPocket for;

Lighting Purposes, of which the following is a specification. V

My invention relates to apparatuses used in electric lighting, and particularly to pockets located in the stage-floors of theaters or upon the surface of walls, &c., whereby a rapid and safe switching mechanism may be provided for the purpose of controlling the electric current for lighting or other purposes; and it has for its object the provision of an appliance of the kind set forth simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and efficient in practical use.

To attain the desired end, this my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and operation of parts herein set forth.

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of my electric pocket in an inoperative position, the front wall of the same being removed; and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in both views.

I have found it desirable to provide an electric switching mechanism that may be located in the floor of the stage of a theater or upon the surface of a wall or wherever elsewhere it may be desired, which will normally be dead or inoperative and which is not liable to become disarranged or choked up, but which may instantaneously be operated either by the hand or foot of the electrician in charge, and I have therefore constructed according to my invention an organization of the class described embodying the preferred construction of parts and their mutual relationship, combination, arrangement, and organization in a composite body or structure, as hereinafter described.

Referring particularly to the drawings, A denotes the case or frame of my pooket,which is constructed and arranged to be set in or lie practically flush with the floor or wall and which consists of a top, preferably horizonftop face A socket O, the walls tal, part A, provided with an aperture a and four depending sides or walls a and an open bottom portion. The orifice a is rectangular in form, two of the sides of which are longer than the remaining ones, and serves as an entrance-opening for the plug J, as hereinafter described.

Depending from the central portion of the is a preferably vertical well or ofwhich are constructed of hard rubber, fiber, or other suitable .insulating material and rectangular in crosssectio'n'and "extending "entirely through the same and provided with side faces 0 and also with front and rear walls, the bore or open ing of the well or socket being preferably constructed and arranged to register with that of the orifice a.

Upon the upper outer faces of the sides 0" are placed jaws or electrodes D, connected with the line-wire, and upon the lower portions of the same are located brackets E, which serve to sustain my metal knife-levers F, pivoted at f, the upper part of the same vbeing provided with knife-edges F and the lower portions of the levers having contactplates G secured to the same ordinarily. The

lower parts of the levers F are normally inlclined toward each other and abut the lower edges of the knife-edge portions of the same normally lie side pieces 0, and the upper at a distance from the electrodes D and also from the side faces of the pocket. Springs H serve to hold the knife-levers F in their normal inoperative and insulated position.

The plug J consists of a central body having a rectangular head J, constructed and arranged to register with the well or socket O and a truncated pyramid shaped front portion J the said head being constructed of rubber, fiber, or other suitable insulating material. The plug J has a rear annular flange J larger in diameter than the orifice a, and serves to form a stop for the entrance of the plug therein and has a central open portion to hold the cable K, containing the positive and negative wires running to any suitable or preferred lighting device and respectively connected with the plates L, located in the rectangular portion of the head J, which plates in connection with the knifelevers F and jaws or electrodes D form a double-pole switch.

It is manifest that various omissions of some particulars could be made without materially affecting the essential features of my invention or the operation of the remaining parts, and Ido not, therefore, wish to be limited to the specific structural details of the organization herein set forth. Obviously the elements of the structure described may be located at an angle to the plane in which they are shown. I accordingly use the words horizontal, vertical, and the like in a relative sense.

In operation the switching mechanism is normally inoperative. The socket or well 0 being normally open and extending entirely through my pocket serves to prevent any accumulation of dirt occurring in the pocket, and even it any metallic object, as a nail, lodges therein no connection with the electric circuit will be-made, and whenever the plug J is inserted in the socket the foreign object will be dislodged before the electric contacts are operated. IVhen the plug J, which can only enter the socket 0 one way, is inserted in the said socket and pushed down home or to its seat, the electric circuit is established between the plates L and the electrodes I) through the knife-levers F. My switching mechanism acts like a circuitbreaker, as the completion and interruption of the circuit is done instantaneously, and is non-shortcircuitable, as the pocket is not alive until the plug makes the contact in the proper manner. I thus provide a doublepole switch operated by the simple insertion of the plug. If desired, the plug may be partly inserted in the pocket in an inoperative position, as shown in Fig. l, and the electrician by pressing his foot on the flange J may push the plug entirely into the socket, and thus operate the switching mechanism. When it is desired to open the switch again, by simply pulling the cable K upward the plug J will be raised up out ofthe socket O and the switching mechanism will be rendered inoperative once more.

As it is evident that many changes in the construction, form, proportion, and relative arrangement of parts might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, I would have it understood that I do not restrict myself to the particular construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, but that such changes and equivalents may be substituted therefor and that \Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. In an electric pocket, a socket extendlng entirely through the same, a switching mechanism located adjacent to the socket,

and a plug to enter the socket and operate the said switching mechanism.

2. In an electric pocket, a socket extending entirely through the same,'a double-poleswitching mechanism located adjacent to the socket, and a plug to enter the socket and operate the said switching mechanism.

3. In an electric pocket, a wall, a switching mechanism located interior of and exterior of said wall, in combination with manually-actuated means to actuate both switching mechanisms and thus make a double contact.

4. In an electric pocket,a double-pole knifeswitch, and a plug to operate the double-pole knife-switch.

5. In an electric pocket, a socket, a triplexswitching mechanism, in combination with a plug to enter the socket to actuate all three switching mechanisms and thus make a triple break in the circuit. 6. In an electric pocket, a socket extending entirely through the same, a switching mechanism located adjacent to the socket, and a plug to enter the socket and operate the said switching mechanism, and means to keep the said switching mechanism in a normally open relation.

7. In an electric pocket, a socket extending entirely through the same, a double-poleswitching mechanism located adjacent to the socket, and a plug to enter the socket and operate the said switching mechanism, and means to keep the said switching mechanism in a normally open relation.

8. In an electric pocket, a double pole knife-switch, and a plug to operate the double-pole knife-switch, and means to .keep the said switching mechanism in a normally open relation.

9. In an electric pocket, a wall, a switching mechanism located interior of and exterior of said wall, in combination with manually-actuated means to actuate both switching mechanisms and thus make a double contact, and means to keep the said switching mechanisms in a normally open relation.

10. In an electric pocket, a socket, a triplexswitching mechanism, in combination with a plug to enter the socket to actuate all three switching mechanisms and thus make a triple break in the circuit, and means to keep the switching mechanism in a normally open relation upon the withdrawal of the plug.

In testimony of the foregoing specification I do hereby sign the same, in the city of New York, county and State of New York, this 19th day of October, A. D. 1901.

ALEXIS OLENIN. Witnesses:

J. ODELL FOWLER, J r., Ron. SOHWARZ.

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